St. Petersburg's Anti-Gay Attacks On Gaga, Madonna Could End L.A. Sister City Status

The ACLU wants L.A. City Hall to cut its ties with St. Pertersburg, Russia, an official sister city.

Why? The Russian metropolis hasn't exactly been gay-friendly. After passing a law last year making pro-gay "propagandizing" around youth a crime, St. Pertersburg targeted Lady Gaga with an investigation and sued Madonna.

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The ACLU and gay L.A. city Councilman Bill Rosendahl have had enough:

In a letter sent to city leaders this week, the ACLU says it wants the L.A. City Council to cancel this sisterhood. The organization notes that Venice, Milan and Turin have already done so.

James Gilliam, director of the ACLU/SC's LGBT Project:

Los Angeles and St. Petersburg just aren't in the same club. Truly global cities like L.A. celebrate their diversity and protect the rights of all residents. By passing its so-called anti-propaganda law, St. Petersburg has shown that it's not the same sort of place, and has sent a chilling message to LGBT youth both in Russia and abroad: hide yourself, don't speak up. Now it's time for the mayor and the city council to show St. Petersburg and the world that our city has nothing in common with that sort of intolerance.

Rosendahl is all for ending this abusive relationship:

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The passage of this resolution will send a strong message that the City will not tolerate discrimination against our LGBT brothers and sisters in a sister city relationship. We must stand together and continue to fight for our basic civil and human rights for all human beings on this earth.

Dennis Romero is an L.A. Weekly staff writer. He formerly worked at the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Los Angeles Times, where he participated in Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the L.A. riots. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone online, the Guardian and, as a young stringer, the New York Times.